Starting a Game Collection
by Bruce Whitehill
Published in Knucklebones games magazine July 2006
The hardest thing about collecting anything, not just games, is getting organized. For most of us, we begin accumulating a few things until one day we realize we now have a collection. Then comes the serious stuff—how to focus or define the collection, how to add to it, how to care for the items and store them, and what groups exist in support of our collecting interests. Eventually you might want to learn more about your games and the companies that made them.
Choosing an area of interest
Exactly what is it you want to collect? Unless you’re collecting as an investment, don’t be influenced by what others are collecting or by what is “hot”—look for games that you like. Most collectors of early games collect primarily for the visual appeal. Some collect games from their childhood. Collectors of games after 1960 are generally more interested in the licensed character or theme of the game. And, of course, some collectors look for games that are fun to play—after all, isn’t that why they were originally made?
Other areas of interest include games with special implements, such as pieces made of pewter, Bakelite, bone, celluloid, or carved figurals in ivory or wood; games of historical or cultural significance; and games of particular themes, such as automobiles, trains or other transportation, war or military, politics, finance, aviation, Christmas, ethnic, space, sports, television, advertising, and games of the old west (cowboys and Indians).
The range of your collection
As a starting collector, you need to consider whether the collection should be limited to games of a particular geographic area, such as American games only, or may include games of the world. Will it include folk-art games and games with no identifiable manufacturer? Do you want the three major types of games—board, card and skill & action (dexterity)—or should you specialize in just one area?
What time period interests you most? There are a number of major “collecting periods” in the U.S., including:
1) the beginning of mass-production (and before) in the mid to late 19th century, covering the early big five companies: Ives, McLoughlin, Milton Bradley, Selchow & Righter, and Parker Brothers.
2) the “Golden Age” of games, from 1890 to about 1920, the year McLoughlin Brothers (the number one company for collectors of early items), sold out to Milton Bradley;
3) the era of the Great Depression (1929) and the time surrounding it, encompassing World War One and/or World War Two;
4) the post-war era and the boom of the 1950s.
5) the television era, into the 1970s;
6) the period of social unrest and social change beginning in the mid 1960s (an easy identification or reference point for games around this time is the zip code, introduced in 1963);
7) the post-“Boomer” generation, from the 1980s onward.
It can be as interesting to focus on one theme over time as to specialize in one specific time period. But most of us started out collecting everything, and it was only after years of amassing more games than we had room for that we began to think about what we liked best and wanted to concentrate on.
Games as an investment
If you want to build a collection as an investment (something I would not recommend, considering the uncertainty of the games market), I would suggest you pay attention to the following basic tenets:
1. Condition: buy only games in excellent condition.
2. Theme or license: choose only those themes or licensed characters you expect will appreciate in value over time. Remember that “hot” trends can die out quickly, and any extremely popular item might have been manufactured in very high quantities.
3. For older games, know what companies are sought after; for example, Milton Bradley bought McLoughlin and reproduced some of their games, but the Bradley games are valued at only a quarter of the original McLoughlins; also, rarity is of importance only if the game is by a major producer or has exceptional graphics.
4. Remember that collecting is generational. The collectors who will be buying in the future when you are selling may not be collecting the same things that are popular at present; for example, the games of the ‘50s have less interest now than the games of the ‘70s, though that was not the case 20 years ago.
5. Check out current values. EBay has replaced price guides, so a check of prices realized will tell you not only what the selling price was but how often an item has come up in the past three months. In general (all else being equal), board games have greater value than card games; larger games are worth more than smaller ones; strong themes, hot licenses, and cross-collectible games (those whose theme is of interest to non-game collectors) have a higher value.
Where and how to find games
EBay has surpassed collectible shows as the main source of games for collectors, but there are still great finds to be had at shows, flea markets, and antique stores that carry ephemera (paper), whimsical items, toys and collectibles. Check regional newspapers on antiques and look for toy shows and ephemera shows. (General antique shows with lots of furniture, furnishings and glassware are usually not good bets.) New England and central California have a number of good shows, including the Allentown Toy Show (Allentown, Pennsylvania), Atlantique (Atlantic City, New Jersey), The Big “E” Collectibles Show (Springfield, Massachusetts), Hartford Papermania (Hartford, Connecticut), and—although they’re nothing like they used to be—the Brimfield shows (Brimfield, Massachusetts); and in California: The All-American Collectors Show (Glendale) and Antique and Collectors’ Revival (San Mateo).
The way to find games at shows is to ask! Don’t just check out the tables, since dealers often leave items like games in their vans. Some dealers, however, especially who have lots of paper, will tell you they have no games, but they may have game-related treasures that are not your traditional boxed items—then you need to rummage through boxes of papers and such. It helps also to wear a shirt or vest that says exactly what you’re looking for. Have business cards made up and be generous with your distribution of them. You may not hear from anybody between shows, but dealers are more likely to remember you at the next show, or even to bring something they think you’ll be interested in.
What about condition?
Ever since eBay opened up the games market by sucking millions of games from people’s attics, condition has become very important. Unless the game you are buying is very special and rare, or you have the patience and talent to clean and repair games, don’t buy anything in less than very good condition. Dirty games (I’m speaking not of the theme but of the soiling) may turn out to be good bargains if they will clean up well.
Ink, water stains, and coal dust (or similar) will not clean easily, or at all, but dirt and mildew will. Here’s a tip when you spot a dirty game: The Wet Finger Test. Since dealers may not like you rubbing their game boxes, wet your thumb (the old thumb-in-the-mouth move will do), pick up the game with your fingers underneath and your thumb on top, and rub your thumb over the dirt. If your thumb gets dirty and the box gets cleaner, you might be in luck; otherwise, you could be buying something which will clean up only with an abrasive, if at all, and that will take some of the paper or color off as you work.
Keeping records
Before you sell or trade your games, you should have a record of them so the information is not lost to you forever. It is best to do this when purchasing a game. On a computer or index card you should record at least the title of the game, the year it was manufactured, and the manufacturing company. For newer, “playable” games, also write down the name of the inventor, the number of players the game is designed for, the age range, and duration of play—this information appears on almost all European game boxes, but not on many American ones.
You might also want to record box and board size, implements, category of game, theme, and personal information such as where and when you purchased it and at what cost. And once your collection gets large enough, you’ll want to record where you put the game!
Handling, display and storage
This is an article onto itself, but I’ll list the seven basics here:
1. Never, never use tape on the outside of a game box!
2. Use two hands to pick up any game larger than one foot (30 cm), unless you want to take the chance of your fingers popping through the box bottom.
3. If you must stack game boxes, stack them upside down with the largest one on the bottom, or right-side up with the smaller ones on the bottom; you might also want to cross-stack them; the idea is to support games by the box edges and avoid having your covers bowed inward from the weight of smaller boxes piled on top of larger ones.
4. Keep your games out of direct sunlight (even the few hours they may sit on a table at a show); the less light they’re exposed to, the better—colors fade in the light.
5. If you must use rubber bands (elastics) to transport games, get the oversized, highly-expandable industrial ones and put one on each end, very close to the ends; do not put rubber bands around the middle of the box. Do not store games with rubber bands, as the rubber could dissolve and adhere to the box paper.
6. Just as the label says on many other products, “Store in a cool, dry place.” Keep games in a ventilated area away from heat and, especially, moisture, which can lead to mildew. Also, extreme temperature changes will cause the paper and cardboard to become more brittle.
7. Clean games thoroughly before storing, especially if there are signs of mildew (looks like dirt but is fuzzy) or insects (little brown flecks on the paper or tiny pieces eaten away).
Who else collects games?
You are not alone in your new passion for collecting games. There are collectors the world over. Some collect one type of game, such as card games, train games, or something as specific as games from the Columbian Exposition of 1893, and they join groups that have a range of collectors in that specific area of interest. But there are two major organizations that support the collection and preservation of all games, and which are dedicated to research on the history of games. The Association of Game & Puzzle Collectors (AGPC), founded in 1985, is a world-wide organization that produces a quarterly newsletter and hosts regional meetings as well as an annual convention (see article in this issue). The organization, based in the U.S., caters not only to game collectors, authors, inventors, players, and historians, but also to collectors of mechanical puzzles and jigsaw puzzles, and has in its ranks some of the best puzzle designers and cutters in the world. Go to www.agpc.org .
A newer, European-based organization is the European Society of Game Collectors (Europaeische Spielesammler-Gilde [ESG]). Established in 2000, the group is open to game collectors from all over the world, but focuses (at the moment) on European games. Meetings are held in German and English. For information, go to www.eurospielesammlergilde.de
The Most Common Games
Some game titles, such as BINGO, AUTHORS, or PIT, show up at almost every flea market or antique show. That doesn’t mean you should avoid these—some collectors, in fact, specialize in them, such as in trying to amass a collection of the hundreds of Authors games published over a century and a half. However, be aware how common some games are; they’re usually the least expensive games to buy, but they’re not likely to appreciate in value much. Some titles, like AUTHORS, can vary greatly in cost and value depending on the age and illustrations on the box and cards; the earliest games of PIT, on the other hand, are nearly all the same and are omnipresent, making it the most common and least valuable of early games. The “generic” classics of backgammon, checkers, chess, and dominoes are everywhere, and their value depends primarily on the age and materials used, and the craftsmanship. Many of the newer character collectible games, based primarily on television and film characters, are very common because of the huge numbers of them that were manufactured. Popular titles such as COLUMBO and KOJAK are found at most shows and do not command much value.
Here is a list of the most common early games. The first versions or earliest sets of these games, or those titles that sometimes have particularly outstanding illustrations or implements (marked with *), may have good value, as explained below.
ANAGRAMS
AUTHORS*
BEANO
BINGO
CHINESE CHECKERS*
DOCTOR BUSBY*
FISH POND*
FLINCH
JACK STRAWS*
KENO
LOST HEIR*
LOTTO*
MONOPOLY*
OLD MAID*
PARCHEESI*
PETER CODDLE*
PICK UP STICKS
PIT
ROOK
SNAP*
TIC-TAC-TOE
TIDDLEY WINKS
TOURING*
The authors depicted in the many Authors decks available represent an interesting sampling of American and European literature; many of the authors were pictured on the cards, allowing one to collect a photo history as well. What might make some CHINESE CHECKERS games valuable are both the Oriental illustrations and the marbles, especially if they are Akro Agate. DR. BUSBY is sought after if the game is by Ives, or has an exceptional cover, or contains cards depicting Black characters. FISH POND games take on all shapes and sizes, and some, such as a few of the large McLoughlin ones, have such extraordinary illustrations that they command a high price.
JACK STRAWS are early versions of PICK-UP-STICKS. Some valuable sets have intricately carved “tools,” usually in wood, and sometimes in bone or ivory. MONOPOLY can be found everywhere, but only the early Darrow sets, rare, early “folk” Monopoly games, and some of the Parker Brothers deluxe versions are valuable. OLD MAID is another ubiquitous title some collectors specialize in; the different versions offer a unique assortment of characters and caricatures. Some sets have cards with Black characters, which adds value. Incidentally, during the late 1800s there was a counterpart to OLD MAID called OLD BACHELOR, but that game never seemed to catch on.
PARCHEESI hasn’t changed for over 125 years. And neither has the value, unless you find a very early one or an interesting variation by a company other than Selchow & Righter. The eight tiny bone dice in the earlier sets make up over half the game’s value. PETER CODDLE was quite a traveler, his trips taking him mostly to New York and Boston. However, if you’ve seen one trip, you’ve seen most. Only the box cover illustration determines the value for games in this series. PIT, as mentioned earlier, is one of the most common and least valuable games; the notable exception, however, is the 1919 version with the cover by famous cartoonist John Held Jr. SNAP, like OLD MAID, is of interest to some collectors because of its caricatures and cartoon illustrations. Many early SNAP games had one or two pairs of Black characters, making these sets more desirable. Some TIDDLEY (also TIDDLEDY) WINKS games may be of interest if the glass cups were made by the Akro Agate company, the same company that made marbles which now command a high price; some of the games were produced by J. Pressman, but only an experienced marble/glass collector will know which are Akro Agate.
